The Order of the Silver Blade
History Founding The Order was founded by the Silver Dragon Inorenth disguised as the paladin Renn Tarthal in the year 402 H.A. to fight monsters and help the helpless. Inorenth had only sparingly used the disguise of Renn Tarthal before that point, and as a result his mysterious persona attracted considerable attention in the social scene of Accordia. He took up residence in the Tarthal Manor, an old estate that Inorenth had purchased and maintained since the founding days of Accordia, and set about using his considerable resources to build up a respectable mercenary company. Unlike other well known mercenary companies, the Order was notable for maintaining extremely high standards for membership and being very discriminating in its mission selection. Within a few years, Renn Tarthal's name had become famous throughout the Five Kingdoms, and the initiation trials for the Order received a steady influx of new recruits. Early Days Inorenth had collected a tight circle of allies over the years that knew his true identity, and these were his first recruits to the Order. Most notable, he recruited Salris Silvertongue and Loracyne Goltorah, and the three of them served as the Order's only operating team for the first year. The Order's reputation truly spread across the Five Kingdoms when the three hunted down and slew the infamous Vampire of Accordia in 403. From there, Renn selected new recruits and assigned them to new operational teams, and eventually the Order reached a high enough membership that its founding members assumed a supportive role. Renn served as the face of the Order, the liaison for those seeking contracts, and the overseer of trials for new recruits, using his considerable insight and centuries of experience to assess the moral character and deeper potential of those who applied. Salris served as a coordinator and mentor to newer recruits, overseeing their first missions and checking in with them as missions progressed. Loracyne took up residence in the library and served as the resident sage, giving advice on the behavior, powers, and capabilities of monsters or humanoid enemies that the Order was sent to face. Formation of Team Six After the Order's fifth operational team was entirely slain during a battle against a Mummy Lord in the deserts of the Monster Tribelands, Renn hosted trials for a new team to replace them. Out of the initial round of trials, he noticed immense potential in a group of four misfits who passed their sparring match with flying colors: a Gaikokujin samurai of noble lineage, an exiled Alondrian tactician, an Oichi runaway turned Drendoran apprentice, and a former smuggler with a divine lineage. After his meeting with them, he was convinced that he noticed something special about them, and speculated that these might be suitable candidates for the next generation of heroes. For their first mission, they were sent to exterminate a small outbreak of undead in the ancient sewers beneath Drendor, only to have a run-in with an extremely powerful lich. The group managed to escape, though the lich effortlessly killed and disintegrated Gaikokujin Senshi. On their way back to Accordia, Salris (who was overseeing the mission) took on a goblin performer as his apprentice and as a potential candidate for membership in the Order. With his suspicions confirmed, Inorenth continued to assign difficult and often dangerous missions to the newly formed Team Six, confident that their resourcefulness and clever tactics would allow them to gain experience and eventually become the heroes that Beadruth needed. Notable Members Gaikokujin Katsuro Tural Hob Glob (The Green Dynamo) Valerian Hathorne Pyotr Kratov Ideals The Order of the Silver Blade maintains strict requirements for the moral character of its members, and is devoted to protecting the helpless and driving out evil across Beadruth. Its code includes: * Helping the weak and persecuted, even if they lack the capacity to pay for its services * Slaying monsters throughout the Five Kingdoms and Accordia without regard to political situations * Remaining vigilant for signs of Demonic activities and preparing for a possible Second Invasion.